


Death

by lifeiszesty



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 12:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12035982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lifeiszesty/pseuds/lifeiszesty
Summary: A short story about Damuron's death.





	Death

The screams are endless. Rocks the size of three people fly through the air and shatter upon impact, scattering fragments that pierce through the soldiers scrambling to focus on the fighting. But there is no focus here, no order. The battle ground is littered with the corpses of Imperial soldiers, guild members and monsters. The remaining survivors are slowly coming to the horrific realization that they are now facing the end.

Amidst the chaos, Lieutenant Damuron Atomais is among the bodies strewn on the ground, but he isn't dead. Not yet. As he watches his fellow brigade members and other soldiers run past him leaving him behind, he can't help but smile, even laugh. There's no way this can be happening, right? This can only be a nightmare, right? He winces as he sees the large orange bird-like monster swoop in and grab one of the soldiers only to drop them off the mountain side to their death, a horrifying scream echoing forever and then ending abruptly.

No, the young soldier thinks to himself, this isn't a dream. The deep gash in his left shoulder agrees with him as it sends another excruciating wave of pain through his body, and Damuron bites his lip hard to keep from crying out. The last thing he wants is for that vulture of a monster to notice him and pick him off like all the others.

Damuron slowly searches his pocket with his right hand trying hard not to open his wound any more than it already is. What he wouldn't give to know some healing artes right now, he thinks, narrowing his eyes. He has already depleted his limited supply of healing gels in the first couple hours of the battle thinking that there were enough healers in the army to cover him. Stupid.

"Atomais!" He jerks his head toward the familiar voice, cursing inwardly as the movement sends another wave of pain through his nerves. Tears form on the edges of his eyes as a young woman kneels beside him, long brown hair flowing down her back. Her armor is battered and dirty, her eyebrows knit with worry, beautiful brown eyes marked with exhaustion. She immediately places her hand over his wound, a soft white light emanating from her hands. "First Aid," she says softly. Damuron's wound begins to close slowly as the pain gradually ebbs away.

"Thanks," he groans.

"There's no time, we have to get off the mountain!" she says, urgency filling her voice. As she begins helping the young man up, a terrifying screech fills the air, and she pushes him back down suddenly as the monstrous bird swoops down, barely missing them as it flies dangerously close overhead.

"Dammit!" she yells in tones of panic Damuron has never heard from her before.

"Captain Casey--" he begins, but as she leaps to her feet holding her bow and arrow at the ready, she rounds on him with the most serious expression he has ever seen on her striking face.

"I'll hold it back; get out of here, now!"

"I won't leave you!" Damuron gets on to his feet as fast as possible, his shoulder, though healed, still throbbing, his muscles crying in agony. He tries gripping his sword but his hand is severely weakened, the hilt threatening to slip from his grip.

He watches as Casey fires an arrow at the giant bird, grazing it's feathers but ultimately missing. His legs are unwilling to run away as a part of him stubbornly wants to help her. As talented and powerful as she is, even his captain can't take on one of those monsters all by herself.

"You idiot, you're useless the way you are now!" As she reaches back for another arrow, Casey finds that her quiver is empty. "Dammit," she mutters. Standing tall, she locks eyes with the monster as it comes for her again, her lips forming a twisted smile. "Come on! I'm waiting!"

No! His heart racing and his body aching, Damuron closes his eyes, trying hard to concentrate. A green glyph forms on the ground beneath him as he focuses on gathering the Aer around him. "Come on, wind, knock 'em around and cut 'em down! Wind Blade!" As the monstrous bird swoops down towards the young captain, a sharp gust of wind sweeps in front of it and the creature gives out a shriek, shaking its head. When it comes to, its eyes focus on something behind the two small humans, and it flaps backwards hesitatingly before turning its back on the two soldiers and flying away.

"Woo! We scared it off!" Damuron cries out but stops abruptly as he sees his captain's pale horrified face. "What? What is--"

"Get down!" Casey flings herself again at her brigade member pushing him flat on the ground against the side of the mountain. Damuron's heart skips a beat as his bright blue eyes see an impossibly enormous unnatural white light descend upon them from the sky.

The feel of Casey's body against his own is the last thing he remembers feeling before a searing pain blanks everything out.


End file.
